I made a mistake. The gift Bobby gave to Rogue was an anniversary gift NOT a birthday gift.
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TheDreamerLady (and Lanco): I can always count on you for a great review! Yeah, Bobby can be stupid sometimes… Anyway, I have gotten some wonderful reviews, and as for Remy being in this chapter? You just gotta read and see… Ishandahalf: Thanks! Yeah, Bobby is a moron, well most of the time anyway. I agree, him and Rogue, wtf? I updated this in a week, so hope it was fast enough. Emma: Thanks. Enjoy this chapter. Silverbell914: I sure am going to keep continuing this. As for an explanation… kinda, because this story isn't really based on why she ended in the past… you'll see what I mean in later chapters. Don't want to say more, so don't forget to review again!EmeraldKatsEye: Lol, yeah Bobby would go so much better with someone else. Thank you for adding me to the archive. I've been trying my best not to abuse Bobby and instead have been trying to place less emphasize on him. So, yeah, thanks again. 4Rogue: Sometimes you really gotta feel sorry for that girl. Thanks for liking the prologue, hope you review again. Chica De Los Ojos CafeYay! Another person who liked it! One week fast enough, lol? DemonicGambit: Hey, I like your name. Oh, so I have you enthralled? Hope the wait was worth it, and I won't keep you any longer then… read on!
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NEW: adj. Having been made or come into being only a short time ago; recent.
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As the ring of the alarm pierced her ears, the very last thing on her mind was the business of waking up. She knew that her outfit would be all crushed, her hair all matted, and that her make-up would have been magically transferred from her face to her pillow. She would much prefer to stay in bed, and so minutes passed, as she slipped further into a dreamlike state, her mind peaceful and serene. That is, of course, until someone rudely disturbed her.
"You'll be late for school!"
Kitty's voice sounded strange. Perhaps she had a cold or something. Besides, school? She had graduated from school a little more than a year ago, and now, instead, was focusing on achieving her dreams of becoming an X-Man. So, she rolled over lazily, the back of her mind thinking of ways to persuade Kitty to visit the Medical Bay, and slowly opened her eyes, letting them become accustomed to the bright sunshine that flowed through the windows, and past the blinds.
Then she froze.
She quickly sat up and stared.
She turned around, twisting her body at an odd angle.
Her eyes grew wide, her mouth opened.
Then she screamed.
So fucking loudly, she was surprised the walls didn't cave in.
There was a scrape of chairs from downstairs and footsteps were heard thudding quickly up a flight of stairs. The door suddenly burst open, hitting the wall with such force it left a dent in it.
"Marie!"
"Honey, are you okay?"
Both voices managed to convey an even amount of anxiety, persecution and scare.
Marie gawked at her parents, who as usual, were fully dressed, despite the early time.
Wait.
Her parents.
How…? What…?
She opened her mouth and closed it. And then repeated that same act five times.
"Marie?" Sarah D'Ancanto walked forward and rested a hand lightly on her forehead, "Are you feeling alright? Did you have a nightmare?"
Marie looked blankly at her, her mind racing.
"Mah-mah r-room," she finally stuttered, "Mah room!"
"Listen," Jack D'Ancanto sighed, "Just a few months till your birthday. Then we'll do the paint job. Together, eh kiddo? Trust me, Ah'm sure you can manage another few months."
Marie looked wildly about. She looked at the pale pink walls, the postcards and maps lying just above her bed. She looked at white curtains, the wind chimes, the many pillows littering her bed, the full-length mirror…
It looked exactly like her bedroom.
Three years ago.
Even the posters…
"Ah won't be here in a few months… Ah shouldn't even be here…" She leapt up from the bed, and ran a hand through her hair, placing the other on her hip, "This is all a dream…"
"Marie…" Jack said slowly, "What the hell is going on?"
Come to think of it, her clothes were feeling a whole lot freer. She peered down at them cautiously. Satin pants… Sleeveless top… Oh dear god… she had thrown this assemble out more than two years ago!
"Honey?" Sarah asked sharply.
Marie looked quickly back at the two adults, as if just noticing their presence. The last thing she needed was for them to think that she was on drugs or something. If she just blended in with her surroundings, the less obviousit would be that something was wrong.
"Nothing…" She lied horribly, putting on a fake smile. Then she turned away. She didn't want them to see the confused expression on her face, the anxiety in her eyes or the way she kept pulling her hair.
Beep, beep.
Jack sighed and clutched at his pocket, "Ah gotta get that."
She nodded silenty.
He gave her one quick searching look, "Kiddo, don't worry. Just a bad dream. You'll forget it bah the end of the day."
He kissed her on the cheek, fast, and left.
Marie stood, still mute.
Sarah regarded her for a few moments, before sitting on the unkempt bed, and patting the seat next to her. Marie hesitated, then moved and sat down next to her, clearly avoiding eye contact.
"Marie," Sarah sighed and moved back her own bushy hair, "Ah've known you since ya were six. What's bothering you? Are these nightmares common?"
Apparently her parents were under the conviction that, indeed, it was a nightmare. She felt no need to correct them, because in a strange and twisted way they were right.
"It's just…" Marie sighed, and looked up to the ceiling, tilting her head back. Where to start?
"Just what?" Sarah leaned forward.
Marie didn't answer, fidgeted with her fingers, trying hard to not completely freak out.
"Honey?"
She had to think fast.
"Cheese." There. She had said the first thing that came to her mind. Now, all she had to do was ignore how stupid it had sounded.
"What?" Sarah blinked.
"Ah ate cheese."
"You ate cheese?"
"Yes. Before Ah went to bed, and you know what that stuff does," Marie nodded her head sagely.
"No, Ah don't," Sarah sounded confused.
"Well, um, it gives you nightmares."
"Who told you that?"
"Jamie," she spoke without thinking.
"Jamie?" Sarah raised an eyebrow, "Haven't heard you mention that name before."
"What? Oh, no, ew! He's like thirteen."
Sarah stared, "Marie, look, Ah have an appointment and Ah'm not even ready, but are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes," Marie nodded eagerly, "Ah'm great!" Her lying skills had come back, but there was still an edge surrounding her voice that she hoped her mother would not notice.
"Okay," Sarah paused, "If there's anything that you need…
"Ah know."
Sarah clutched her barehand. Marie instantly moved to pull away, but then suddenly stopped, sqeezed it back, and held bated breath.
Seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
Sarah smiled, let go and left the room, closing the door gently behind her. Marie paused and recollected her thoughts. This would be a great time to wake up, she decided, and have a good laugh with Kitty.
Then she saw it, and the feeling inside herintensified. It was a simply object, with simple views. It wasa magazine. A new one too; she could tell by the shiny cover. The date?
October 2000.
"Oh no…" She stared, "God no. This - this doesn't make sense...I mean..."
She willed for it to disappear. She prayed for it to all go away. But of course when she opened her eyes, the magazine was still there. So was the room.
Now what? A logical thought entered her head. The was one place in the world where she felt truly safe, and one person who she knew that could solve many problems, with little effort. The question was how to reach the place and him.
"The phone…" she muttered, "The phone…. Where the fuck is it?"
She angrily tossed aside clothes, until her hands found the phone.
She held it out with visibly shaking hands, slightly unfamiliar with such an old model.
"The mansion," she said, half to herself.
Then she stopped and threw the phone at the bed.
She didn't know the number! Why should she? She never needed to ring the mansion. What next? The phonebook…no, Xavier's mansion was like in Westchester! Okay, maybe she could fly over there… or even, ride…
And say what?
Why should they believe her? She wasn't even a mutant. Sure, the Professor could read minds, but that wasn't a guarantee that everyone else would believe. Logan, himself, didn't even know her, letalone the mansion. Okay, and say she travelled back in time: then how the hell did she achieve that? It didn't make sense.
She sighed, looked around and walked over to the mirror,before jumpingback in shock.
Her streaks, which had become a part of her, were no longer there. She touched the spot where they should have been lightly, and then immediately withdrew them as if her fingers had been burnt. She cast a backwards look behind her and then continued to study her reflection a bit more. She was slightly shorter too, and her body seemed slightly larger. Just like it had looked, before she had started using the Danger Room.
That pure thought was the final blow. Reality kicked, but she refused to give in to it. Instead, she bit her lip, and cast the room a final hurried look, filled with despair.
"Oh man," she sat down on the floor, "Ah am so screwed." Then she swore, "And Ah was so close tah the legal drinking age!"
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She took one deep breath, before plunging her dark head into the water. It felt icy cold, but she determinedly pushed her face down, and kept it there. Her mouth opened unconsciously and blew bubbles. Her eyes could barely see the bottom through the murk, and soon began to sting. She resisted the urge to pull up, her hands instantly clutching the edge of the sink, her feet scraping the tiles.
Just another moment…
"Ah!"
Her head shot up. She gasped, and wiped her mouth, as water gushed to the floor. Her hair was drenched. Quickly, the water fell and soaked the upper section of her top.
She was trying to clear her mind. No, actually, she was trying to occupy her mind. Away from this horrible situation. This had to be a dream. It would so good if this was a dream. Yes, if she called it a dream, it seemed easier to deal with…
Sighing, she toweled off her hair, and combed it neatly.
Why did these things always happen to her?
The sound of a knuckle rapping on the door, made her jump.
"Marie! The bus is here!"
If this really was a dream, then it was becoming way too real.
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She watched the scenery whoosh by, her headagainst the window. There were other people she could sit with; Lynda, Erica, Fiona. People she hadn't seen in such a long time. But her mind was preoccupied. Very.
For starters, she couldn't comprehend let alone believe that she was one a bus to school. To her school.
How long had it been?
She didn't know; she didn't want to. Her head was spinning. Yesterday it had been October 4th, 2003. She had been nineteen. She was a mutant. She had mutant friends and a mutant boyfriend…
Bobby…
She hadn't even thought about him!
Anyway, today though (she had checked on a newspaper on the way to the door) was October 5th 2000. Her powers had manifested late in the month before Halloween. She knew that for sure, but there were so many questions, that her head began to feel light.
What would happen if she could never go back? How did she get here, anyway?
It was just…
Even though she wanted to believe this was all a nightmare, as the clock ticked one more second, it seemed more and more unlikely. Maybe it was all due to a mutant. Or maybe it was a dream. How was she supposed to know? With that thought in mind, she pinched herself.
"Ow!" she murmured, "Okay, maybe that wasn't such a good idea…"
What about Logan? He wouldn't have joined the X-Men if it hadn't been for a chance encounter with her. By traveling back in time, not only was her future hanging in the balance, but his as well...
Everything was so screwed up!
Okay, okay, she would have to relax, and think clearly. One of her key assets was the way she could remain calm, logical and focused during a crisis, a skill only second to Scott; perhaps even Storm. She closed her eyes and scrolled down the list of options she had. The two she favored were to contact the Professor or live out this time as close as she could to how it was supposed to be, until the X-Men brought her to mansion. The thing was, she didn't know if the Professor could even help her. And there was the business of Magneto. He was going to kidnap her. Was he even watching her at that precise moment?
She shuddered, and tightened her jacket. She longed for it be summer so she would have an excuse to wear more revealing clothes, but yet loved the security these types of clothes gave her.
"Hey, D'Ancanto!" Erica, a preppy blonde,stole the seat next to her and leant back lazily, "You avoiding me?"
"Sorry," Marie flushed, "Ah guess Ah've been a little … busy."
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The bus lurched to a stop.
Erica said good-bye and hurried to find her own friends.
Her two best, however, were already waiting for her.
Aimee James friends leant on the gate, her raven black hair swaying in the wind. She chewed her gum noisily and adjusted her skirt. Katie Foster stood more timidly, arms folded, head downcast. She only smiled when she saw Marie's face.
"Hi!" The smile grew
Marie stared at her.
It had been so long. Katie had been the one person in the world that had been okay with her mutation. Before Marie had left, both made fruitless promises, to call everyday, to email twice a week. Time, though, held its toll and gradually they drifted apart.
"What's up with you?"
Marie never knew why she called Aimee one of her best friends. Perhaps she thought that underneath the monster lay a real person. Perhaps. But, then again, Aimee was one of the people that had caused Marie to run to Canada. She had tried to be nice, Marie had to give her that, but her upbringing told otherwise. To Aimee mutants were filthy and dangerous. They were horrible mistakes that simply didn't deserve a place on Earth, and no friendship, however strong, could break through those fowl thoughts.
"Uh, Marie? You in there?" Katie looked at her.
Aimee, in turn, raised one eyebrow at her.
She jumped, "Sorry. Let's go inside."
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Marie sat on the edge of her seat, glancing around nervously.
Katie was on her left, twirling her caramel hair with one finger, the other penciling in her math homework. Aimee was on her other side, filing her nails whilst reading a magazine.
The room was exactly like how she remembered it. The paint job, her seat, the door that never seemed to close properly. Even the chalk that always seemed to 'vanish' after every lesson was on the windowsill, like always. Just how she remembered. Everybody was lazing around, as if it were a regular Monday morning. But then, it was, wasn't it? She watched the people in amazement, trying hard not to think of her predicament. She hadn't seen some in ages, and some she had even forgotten.
Well she knew Katie and Aimee for sure, and David naturally…
David?
He was staring out the window, his dark blonde hair gleaming, as he sat lost in thought.
She stared at him. He soon noticed because he reverted his gaze from the window and looked steadily at her, before raising one hand in a wave.
She flushed and quickly turned away, her hand covering her mouth.
The last time she had seen him was in that hospital room, lying still under the white sheets, a machine beeping softly in the background. She remembered the rush of guilt, the feeling of dirtiness; of unworthiness. They had just begun to go out...
Yet, now, three years later, she had a boyfriend who wasn't in coma. Well, technically Bobby was her boyfriend. In any case, she couldn't afford to be looking like that at David. She didn't want to harm him… But it felt so strange to see him there, like nothing had happened. It was just… not meant to be…
Like the mess she was in. She wondered what was happening in her time. If it existed. But, then the future always existed,. right? Oh, the paradox of time travel! Wait a minute, time travel? Was that her theory now? Didn't she want to think this was all her dream...?
Marie shook her head confused. Matters had yet to fully sink in and already she was making matters worse. If she just stopped thinking and cleared her head, things may seem to make a little sense.
"Class!"
Miss Winters entered the room, her long skirt billowing, her stringy blonde hair dangling off her shoulder.
She tried in vain to grab the attention of the class.
"Wouldn't this skirt look great on me?" Aimee pointed to a black micro mini pictured in the magazine, "Though it is kinda short…"
"Trust me, James, the shorter it is, the more sluttier it will look and the hell better it'll look on you!" Marie commented sardonically.
Aimee raised her eyebrows. "Whoa," she sounded mildly impressed, "Who are you and what have you done with Marie?"
She was joking, but the question hit with the force of a sledgehammer. What had she done with Marie?
"Ah don't know," Marie said softly, frowning.
Aimee frowned too, and exchanged looks with Katie.
"Pay attention!" Miss Winters changed the pitch of her voice to no avail.
"Oh mah gawd, Marie! David is like totally looking at you!"
"Well, duh," Aimee clipped, shooting David a furtive glance, "Though it's taking him quite long time to get his act together, if you know what I mean…"
"Well, maybe that's a good thing…"
"Marie, are you okay?" Katie looked steadily at her, "Just yesterday it you were all like, David this and David that. But, today, well, Ah don't know, you seem kind of disorientated. Ah mean… you're different."
"Yeah," Aimee examined her nails "What the hell have you been smoking?"
Katie shot her a glare.
"If – if you don't pay attention, I'll keep the rest you in for lunch!"
It was an empty threat, so nobody bothered complying. Nobody ever did. Ah, these were the days... the days when your teacher couldn't shoot you with optic blasts, that is.
"Maybe we should listen to her…" Aimee mused.
"Really?" asked Katie.
"Hell no."
Miss Winters folded her arms then, and came upon the conclusion to try the old teaching method of refusing to say anything. It gradually worked, though a few whispers could still be heard.
"Okay," breathed Miss Winters, "Let me take the roll… Wait, children, has anyone see the roll?"
"Where you always keep it," Aimee called out, "In the teacher's lounge."
There was a knock at the door then, and the teacher, cleverly ignoring the last remark, went to investigate.
The chatter stared up again.
Marie and Aimee however trained their ears to the door.
"Miss Winters is so…" Katie began.
"Shut up!" hissed her two best friends.
Katie looked hurt, and closed her math book in a huff.
Marie mouthed 'sorry', Aimee turned distracted and both in the process completely lost the chance to eavesdrop.
Miss Winters returned to the front of the class, and simply stood, staring from under her large oval glasses.
Slowly the voices began to ebb away.
"Class…" Miss Winters smiled erratically- causing some students to glance at each worriedly - and spread one hand towards the door, "We have a new student. I'd like you all to welcome Remy LeBeau. There's a seat at the back, Mr LeBeau, if you'd care to take it."
She spoke to the door and beckoned her hand, inviting him in.
Marie suddenly froze. She remembered this day, however vaguely. But she did know one thing. There was never any new student. She knew that, all right. So…
What -the -fuck –was- happening?
She blinked rapidly.
Then, suddenly, like lightening, he – this new student - appeared to her right, one perfect hand leaning on the doorframe as he surveyed the room smoothly through dark sunglasses.
She turned.
One look at his face and her heart was all over the place.
Shit, he fit the part so damn easily. Tall, dark, and handsome, he owned the room. He ambled in carelessly, all eyes focused on him, as he walked towards the back. A black shoulder bag was slung across his chest, coming to a rest on his dirty jeans. His dark brown shirt clung at his body, contrasting beautifully with his roughed up auburn hair that fell casually across his forehead.
He was gorgeous, and she hated herself for every moment that she thought so.
"LeBeau?" whispered Katie, "Doesn't that mean the beautiful in French?"
"Who cares?" murmured Aimee, "It's true."
In normal cases, Marie would roll her eyes at her friends. But, then again, her eyes were far too preoccupied. It was almost like they were stuck with an invisible glue.
On him that was.
He reached her table, and she craned her neck, ready to see him walk past, when suddenly he stopped, almost as if on an impulse, and looked down at her.
She couldn't tell where exactly he was looking, the glasses were that dark, but the strange sensation in her stomach seemingly told her otherwise.
Then, quickly, he pushed down the glasses and winked at her, before placing them back, and continuing his journey to his seat.
She just sat there; frozen, still, amazed, perhaps even a bit horrified, by what she had just witnessed.
"Marie?" whispered Katie.
It was only then that she realised something was horribly wrong.
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A/N: Some of the names here are a little play on some of the X-men's names. Anyway, the first two chapters are basically an introduction, and I promise it will get better. So, please, don't forget to review!